Wednesday, April 30, 2008

In France, they don’t train you how to think; they tell you what to think. If you think outside their box, you’re a weirdo. Somehow, I thought it’d be different here in America. But not so. America is waning and yielding to dictatorship thinking.

This weekend, I saw Expelled with Ben Stein. Without spoiling the joy of having your own brains delightfully challenged, let me simply encourage you to see this film. It’s well worth it. And it’s worth bringing as many people with you as you can.

You see, we often think we’re hearing the truth. We believe so quickly what reputed scientists, big-wig brains and our government tell us. But they’re not telling us everything. They’re actually often covering up the truth, bottling it and hiding the bottle. Worse still, there’s a label on the bottle which reads, “Open this & share it & you’re EXPELLED”.

If you want to do your own thinking—especially with regard to Darwinism—then you need to hear both sides of the story. If you want to know one of the strongest forces behind Hitler’s hideous evil, then please do me a favor and see the film. Here’s the trailer: http://www.expelledthemovie.com/playgroundvideo3.swf

And when you’ve seen it, check out some more cool stuff to help you think some more here: Answers in Genesis: http://www.answersingenesis.org/

And here’s another one to make you think, The End Of America by Naomi Wolf. 10 steps on how American’s democracy is on it’s way out. History proves it. See Stalin, Mussolini, Hitler…SCARY. Check out it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjALf12PAWc

Finally, before hopping on a plane (yes, again! Can you believe it?), I’d appreciate your prayers for the ORPHANS SUMMIT in Florida this weekend. I will be attending to represent Orphans First (www.orphansfirst.org). It is my deepest prayer that many more children will find forever homes. And since May 1st, is the National Day of Prayer, let’s especially be praying for this.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

I’ve worked with children for years. I’m probably more known as a child advocate than anything else. And one thing that stands out as lucidly clear to me is that Satan hates children and takes every opportunity to harm them. Oh, and he uses twisted adults and big-ego idiots to do so.

Sadly, serious damage is often done by those who should be protecting the children. I saw it in Europe. Now I see it in America.

Take, for example, the recent scandal of the polygamist cult, an extreme Mormon affiliate break-off. Does it make sense to remove every child from every mother because, apparently, a few children show signs of having been abused by men in the cult? Now, don’t get me wrong. Don’t twist my words to say I don’t believe in taking extreme measures when children are abused. I do. I most definitely do. Abused children should be removed from the abusers. And child abusers should be behind bars for a long, long time. Anyone who’s followed my work over the years knows that this is what I stand for. And anyone who knows me well also knows that I believe in removing children from families where they are in danger, neglected or abused. But that is not necessarily the case here. Let’s talk about what the media is now telling us.

According to today’s associate press articles*, and varying talk shows**, a phone call from a 16-year-old girl in the complex claiming to have been abused pushed the panic button. That girl has not been found. Still, some of the children apparently show traces of abuse so, without a doubt, something needs to be done to protect them. Let’s safely assume they were abused – a crime that reflects man’s deepest depravity – well, does that mean that the children should be further distressed by being separated from those they love: mothers, sibs, aunties, grandmother figures? Is it going to help them being put in another, extremely strange and possibly hostile environment (other children can be hostile – particularly toward children who are so very different from them)? Are all of those mothers systematically evil?

It seems to me it would be better to keep most of the children with their mothers in a controlled environment—particularly those who show no sign of abuse and where the mothers show no sign of having been accomplice to any abuse. Would that be so hard to organize? Meanwhile, there are thousands of children in homes where they should have been removed. That’s the painful irony.

I’ve seen children who showed signs of serious neglect, in terrible situations, and authorities stated that unless the children were actually on their deathbeds, they wouldn’t intervene. It seems to me that something’s amiss here. So what shall we do? I think we should voice our opinion when and where we can – but only after we’ve carefully and prayerfully considered the issues at hand. How do we do that? I believe that prayer is key. Let’s pray hard for these precious children. And let's pray also for the foster parents seeking to help them.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Surprise! (At least, it was a surprise to me.) This week, right before my French radio broadcast began, I asked my son, Francesco, to share. I began the broadcast—but he finished it. And he did a great job. He spoke on Samson, relating the story about the lion's carcass to the pitfall young people often fall into. He spoke about the importance of being leery after a victory, and remembering that Christ is the victor in us. I was blessed.

So, if you speak French, or know anyone who does—especially young folk—you might want to tune in to hear this.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

On my French televised radio broadcast, we address culture, news and some hot items. Then, we dive into a brief Bible study. The study is theme oriented at this time and we're doing a series called, Building the Little House in Your Heart. It's been fun, and apparently helpful to some francophone friends who are hungry for sound, biblical teaching. Gloire à Dieu. To Him be all the glory. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to serve in this way.

So, although this blog is in English (although one French friend told me she uses a program to translate it and read it in French) for those interested in last week's broadcast, here it is:

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Some things make my blood boil—especially when they fly against reason. Here’s one of them.

I recently heard on the news that kids as young as four are being accused of sexual harassment because they tapped someone’s behind in school. What made me irate was not just the stupidity of attributing such playfulness to intentionally sexual behavior, but also the taunting hypocrisy of such a mindset. On one hand, we blame small children for acting like small children, distastefully twisting the intent of their childish gestures. On the other hand, we teach them that same sex couples is normalcy, and expose them to blatantly inappropriate images on TV, poster ads etc.

It seems that society’s gone bonkers. Mad! Where do people draw their conclusions from? How are parents finding answers in today’s upside-down world?

The place where I found the most answers was in the Bible. And I’ve enjoyed sharing my gleanings over the past 20 years whether by speaking or teaching. In fact, it was by request of parents who enjoyed my teaching that I wrote my book, Heaven Help Me Raise These Children.

It addresses such issues as how to deal with the warped values of the world, how to train our children to think with God and rise above the grime, and how we the parents can lovingly inspire them into wanting to make a difference so that these kind of absurdities don’t happen.

My book also addresses another common dilemma reflected in recent news titles—why few students are proficient writers today.

As a child advocate (Orphans First – www.orphansfirst.org-, and as co-founder of a Christian school in France, children’s educational issues are important to me. And as a European and a mom who raised her children in France, I believe I bring a more global perspective to the table.

Heaven Help Me Raise These Children! has an entire chapter devoted to literature, music and toys. It offers ways parents can draw their children to love good books, and consequently develop good writing. If you know parents, teachers or child workers seeking honest answers, I hope you encourage them to pick up a copy of my book. See it here: https://www.carepointministry.com/parenting.html.

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Today, I’m delighted to introduce you to Allison Bottke’s latest book, Setting Boundaries with Your Adult Children: Six Steps to Hope and Healing,

This book is especially helpful to those struggling with adult children whose poor choices are affecting them or other family members. How often parents find themselves enabling their grown children instead of challenging them. This attitude is particularly prevalent here in America where many people tend to believe everything is owed to them, and have not understood that they are among the most comfortable, privileged people in the world.

I asked Allison some questions that I highlight the enormity of this dilemma, and whet your appetites for this resource.

(NB—As always on this blog, I use initials to separate the interviewer from the interviewee. AB = Allison Bottke & JD = Janey DeMeo (yep, me).

JD: The book comes out of your own personal experience with your son. Please tell us about that.

AB: For years I really thought I was helping my son. I wanted him to have the things I never had growing up. I love my son, and I didn’t want him to hurt—but sometimes pain is a natural result of the choices we make. For a long time I didn’t understand the part I was playing in the ongoing drama that had become my son’s life—I didn’t understand that I didn’t have to live in constant chaos and crisis because of his choices. When I chose to stop the insanity and start living a life of hope and healing my life changed. It’s a feeling I want other struggling parents and grandparents to experience. I want other parents to know that change is possible when we choose to stop the destructive cycle of enabling. And we can stop it. I know, because I’ve done it.

JD: Why do you think so many parents struggle with enabling their adult children?

AB: We don’t understand the difference between helping and enabling, that one heals and the other hurts. We don’t realize that we handicap our adult children when we don’t allow them to experience the consequences of their actions.

JD: How can we determine whether we are helping versus enabling our children?

AB: Helping is doing something for someone that he is not capable of doing himself.Enabling is doing for someone things that he could and should be doing himself. An enabler is a person who recognizes that a negative circumstance is occurring on a regular basis and yet continues to enable the person with the problem to persist with his detrimental behaviors. Simply, enabling creates an atmosphere in which our adult children can comfortably continue their unacceptable behavior.

JD: What are some of the most common ways that parents enable their children?

AB: Being the Bank of Mom and Dad, or the Bank of Grandma and Grandpa. Loaning money that is never repaid, buying things they can’t afford and don’t really need. Continually coming to their rescue so they don’t feel the pain—the consequences—of their actions and choices. Accepting excuses that we know are excuses—and in some instances are downright lies. Blaming ourselves for their problems. We have given too much and expected too little.-

About Me

Author, Freelance Writer & Speaker (www.JaneyDeMeo.com), Founder & Director of Orphans First (www.orphansfirst.org).
I'm British & speak fluent French & poco Italiano. I spent 22 years in France where my husband, Louis, and I planted several churches, a Theological Institute, a Christian Day School -- and where our kids were born--all by God's grace. I'm founding director of ORPHANS FIRST, a non-profit ministry helping needy children worldwide - www.orphansfirst.org
I'm also a freelance writer and author of several books including: "Heaven Help Me Raise These Children!" - Biblical Answers to Practical Parenting Issues. I am a Christian and a free-thinker (I think), a pastor's wife, mother, women's teacher...
My heart breaks every day for the suffering children (& animals) of the world. That's why I founded Orphans First.